~Baby Black-capped Chickadees Fledge~

[Sage]

I got to see the last three Black-capped Chickadees fledge this morning and two of them flew to my 2nd floor balcony on their first flight!

Black-capped Chickadee Fledging - YouTube

Black-capped Chickadee Fledging - YouTube

if you know how to fix this, please help!

I first chased away a grackle but a near-by House Wren, who used this bird house the last two years was quite close-by and singing loudly.

[Equilibrium]

I love it! Love it! Love it! What timing too!!!
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I bought this ornamental birdhouse that I figured wouldn't ever be used other than as a plant stand. I set it on our patio and I think about 3 weeks ago or so I noticed a chickadee going in and out. I was surprised when I realized she was nesting in it. About 2 weeks ago my husband hears chirping in there. I didn't hear it but he swore up and down he heard it. Then I'm out hanging laundry up and I'm watching as 2 adults are flying back and forth inside the bird house so I knew they had nestlings in there. Pretty wild. Yesterday we've got a boatload of people over and we cleared the patio every hour for about 15 minutes so the parents could get to the babies to feed them. Next thing I know.... a baby pops out and ends up on the wood pile. I grabbed the baby thinking it's too early and stuffed it back in the hole. It pops out again so I stuff it back in again. It pops out again.... I stuff it back in again. I turn around and look at the wood pile and there's like 2 of em sitting there staring at me.... that's when I figured out I was stuffing different babies back in. I put the baby I was gonna stuff back in the hole by the other babies and run for my camera and end up watching a total of 3 more popping out. Others think there were a total of 7 but I thought I only counted 6. It was pretty funny because I'm out there trying to get my Kodak moments as they're coming out and to my right there's like 15 heads smashed together in a family room window watching and I can hear them going ohhh and ahhh and ohhh there's another 1 like they're all watching 4th of July fireworks. The little 1s all ended up flying to a tree where their parents were for the blessed event. Cutest darn thing I ever did see. My husband was who knows where. He missed the whole show. Poor guy.... he was waiting for them and I got the show.

[NEWisc]

That 5th one is really interesting! A chickadee with attitude!!

I don't think he liked being stuffed back in the nest. It looks like he's ready for 'taking names and kicking butt'!
.

[Sage]

And what a pretty entrance they have!

[BeeWonderful]

I'm loving all of the fledgling chickadees! I wish we had some chickadees nesting in our yard. I'd hate to think what would happen to them if they tried, however, since we have house wrens nesting here every spring. I don't suppose there's any solution to the house wrens? They don't use a nest box, but they return every year just the same.

[linrose]

Oh wow, how cute is that! You must be a proud chickadee parent.

LOL NEWisc, he/she certainly looks like it has a big attitude!

[dapjwy]

Great footage and great photos.

How long from hatchlings to fledglings? I should have fledgling chickadees before too long...but, as always seems to happen, I may not be around the day they fledge.

Funny comment, too, NEWisc. ~smile~ I prefer my chickadees bold and friendly...it's hard to imagine one with a bad attitude--of course the expression on his face does make one wonder.

[Sage]

dap, they hatch in about 2 wks and fledge about 2 wks later, exact replicas of the parents! They can have 13 eggs! I only saw the last 3 fledge and they went one after the other. Others may have fledged that morning before we noticed!

BeeWonderful, the House Wrens used that very same nestbox the past two years! And a House Wren was on the staff holding a mosaic decorative nest which was the wren's "dummy nest" those years, just about 8ft away, singing away, while the dees were fledging. Plus I had to startle a grackle off the dee's box before I saw the first fledge!

Parent dee

House Wren

Baby dee about to fledge!

[dapjwy]

Originally Posted by Sage

dap, they hatch in about 2 wks and fledge about 2 wks later, exact replicas of the parents! They can have 13 eggs! I only saw the last 3 fledge and they went one after the other. Others may have fledged that morning before we noticed!

I'll have to check the date on my photos and figure out the fledge date.

Your parent chickadee sure looks frazzled.

13 eggs! I thought the seven mine have were plenty to keep them busy.

[Sage]

dap, how did you get a count?